“There was a loud blast and many people heard it,” one resident said. “Then there were sounds of gunshots too. When I came here in the morning, I saw many security forces and they had blocked both ends of the road so that nobody could enter.”

Several people in surrounding areas were injured by broken glass and shattered windows, according to local media reports.

Not far from Kabul’s main international airport, the Northgate Hotel is a heavily guarded compound for foreign military and civilian organizations. It had been attacked by militants three years ago.

There were reports of power outages in several areas of the city after the blast.